High school superintendents set expectations for Texas Legislature

Amarillo Independent School District Superintendent Rod Schroder said an increase in state funding for the next two years would certainly help public schools, but he’s not holding his breath the state will restore some of the $5.4 billion in cuts from two years ago.

Comptroller Susan Combs said a booming state economy left Texas with a rosy $101.4 billion budget estimate. That was a sharp contrast from a far weaker 2011 prediction, when the recession exacerbated a $27 billion budget shortfall that triggered mass layoffs of government employees and other deep spending cuts.

“It’s nice to have a revenue projection from the comptroller that says we will have more money,” he said. “However, I know that just because she says that we’re going to have more money doesn’t mean that will translate into programs in Texas.”

Lawmakers in 2011 voted to cut $5.4 billion in state funding to public schools and educational grants for pre-kindergarten and other programs, triggering a sharp drop in the amount Texas spends per pupil.

Those cuts required districts to slash their budgets and prevented them from hiring people to fill open positions.

However, Gov. Rick Perry made no promises Wednesday that Texas would roll back any of the deep state spending cuts imposed during past economic doldrums, even to soften the blow of $5.4 billion in funding sliced from public schools in the last biennium.

Those cuts marked the first time since World War II that funding did not keep up with increasing student enrollment growth statewide. A booming population means schools across Texas add an average of 80,000 students per year.

Canyon Indppendent School District Superintendent Mike Wartes said any increase in funding for the upcoming biennium would specifically benefit districts such as CISD that have seen steady enrollment growth. He said district enrollment typically increases by about 200 students each year.

“Growth is great, but growth brings challenges. ... I think the growth of the state is going to dictate and determine some of the decisions that they might make,” Wartes said.

CISD officials would need to discuss how to use additional funding as they prepare the district budget, but Wartes said personnel costs would likely be one of the first areas the district would address.

“Any time you’re in a growing district, one of the things that becomes paramount for you is personnel and personnel costs,” he said.

More than 600 school districts responsible for educating three-quarters of the state’s 5 million-plus public school students are suing the state, claiming the cuts make the formula used to fund education so inadequate and inequitable that it violates state constitutional guarantees.

Schroder said he is unsure how the lawsuit could affect how much progress the Legislature makes on funding topics, but he is optimistic about the Legislature’s direction on several other education issues.

First, he said he expects the lawmakers to make changes to high school graduation plans. Students currently are placed into recommended, distinguished or highly distinguished graduation plans, but Schroder said he wants the state to move away from those categories.

“I think it would be an excellent step for the Legislature to recognize that not every student has the same interests,” he said.

Schroder said the current model restricts students’ opportunities to pursue interests in areas such as fine arts and technical fields.

Schroder also said he expects to see legislators work to reduce the amount of testing during the school year and possibly reduce the number of end-of-course exams high school students must pass to graduate.

“I’m very optimistic that something will be done based upon my discussions with representatives in the House and the Senate,” he said.